I was chatting to my best friend and my boyfriend overheard the conversation, then got his young daughter listening too. Most of it was girlie stuff, but I did mention that he'd bought a new sofa and that I didn't really like his choice - I didn't say anything unpleasant, just my opinion. Next thing I know he's ended the relationship and won't speak to me, even though I've apologised by phone and by text. I love him very much but I do feel he's being unreasonable. He has such high standards of behaviour - but this seems such a silly thing to fall about.

Susan advises
Unless you're missing out a huge part of the story here - a part in which you behave much worse than you describe - I think you've had a lucky escape. A man who goes off on one because you criticise his choice in sofas - when he himself was in the wrong by listening in to the conversation - has, in my opinion, a huge problem.

The nicest thing to do would have been not to listen in. Having listened in, the most mature thing to do would have been to talk to you about what he heard and express his feelings. The loving thing to do would have been to give you a big hug and laugh about it - or at the very least respect your viewpoint and be unthreatened by it.

Your ex did none of these things. Instead he refused to talk things through and doesn't seem to want a happy ending here. I suspect he was looking for an excuse to dump you. And I firmly believe that you should have been looking for a way to dump him. There are much nicer men out there, trust me!